1. Field of the Invention
In an image pickup apparatus such as an electronic camera or the like, the invention relates to a file management system of an image pickup apparatus such that in case of storing recording image data as a file into a storage device, even if a storage medium is exchanged, so long as the data is recorded by the same image pickup apparatus, a peculiar file name is automatically formed for a recording image.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, in case of recording an image onto a recording medium by an electronic camera, although it is necessary to allocate a name to a file of the image, a method whereby a number to be updated every photographing operation is included in the file name has been proposed. In such an apparatus, however, when the recording medium is exchanged, the number included in the file name of the image is reset. Therefore, there is a case where a plurality of files of the same name exist.
Since a conventional file management system of image data is constructed as mentioned above, there are the following problems.
That is, in the case where the file name is formed as mentioned above, when it is intended to transfer data from the storage device of the electronic camera to a computer, there is a possibility such that files of the same name also exist in an auxiliary storage device of the computer. In such a case, the user has to take a procedure such that the file existing in the auxiliary storage device of the computer is overwritten or, since the same file name exists, a message to instruct to change the file name is displayed, or the like.
Although the number of file names which can be formed is determined by the number of digits of numerical values which are included in the file name, in case of forming a file while sequentially including a series of numerical values, for example, starting from 0 among numerical values of five digits into the file name, the number of numerical values which can be used is equal to 100000 within a range from xe2x80x9c00000xe2x80x9d to xe2x80x9c99999xe2x80x9d. Therefore, file names exceeding 100000 cannot be formed. In order to avoid such a limitation, for example, there is a method of returning the numerical values included in the file name to the original numerical values in a manner such that, for instance, the file name which is formed subsequently to xe2x80x9cIMG99999. JPGxe2x80x9d is set to xe2x80x9cIMG00000. JPGxe2x80x9d. In this case, however, if the file of xe2x80x9cIMG00000. JPGxe2x80x9d still exists in the storage device, the file which has originally existed will be overwritten.
Since numerical values to be included in the file name are determined by examining the file names of the files existing in the recording medium to record data, in the case where the recording medium is exchangeable, the file of the same file name is formed on a plurality of recording media.
It is an object of the invention to solve the problems as mentioned above.
Another object of the invention is to provide a file management system of image data, in which a peculiar file name which is not overlapped can be allocated so long as it is recorded by the same image pickup apparatus, thereby making it possible to prevent a situation that a plurality of files of the same name exist.
A file management system of image data according to one aspect of the invention is constructed as follows.
(1) A file management system for managing photographed image data as files comprises a counter for updating a numerical value every image recording and generating means for generating a file name on the basis of the numerical value of the counter, wherein when the recording image data is stored as a file, even in case of recording all of the image data photographed by a same image pickup apparatus onto different recording media, an individual file name which is not overlapped is formed when they are recorded by the same image pickup apparatus.
(2) In the above system of (1), when the numerical value of the counter lies within a preset range, a warning and a predetermined method of taking a countermeasure are displayed.
(3) In the system of (2), the numerical values are sequentially included in the file name in accordance with the order from the smaller numerical value, the numerical values included or the numerical value to be next included are stored into the counter, and a preset range is set equal to or more than a predetermined value based on the stored numerical value.
(4) In the system of (2), the numerical values are sequentially included in the file name in accordance with the order from the larger numerical value, the numerical values included or the numerical value to be next included are stored into the counter, and the preset range is set equal to or less than a predetermined value based on the stored numerical value.
(5) In the system of (2), when the numerical value of the counter lies within the preset range and the file formed before does not exist in a storage device in which the file is formed, the numerical value of the counter is initialized.
(6) In any one of the systems of (2) to (4), the predetermined method of taking a countermeasure is to delete the file to which the file name was allocated among the files included in the storage device serving as a target.
(7) In any one of the systems of (2) to (4), the predetermined method of taking a countermeasure is to format the storage device serving as a target.
The above and other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and the appended claims with reference to the accompanying drawings.